we appreciate your time hope to see you again in a half hour. tonight on "world news," the disaster in the pacific. we are told it is heading for the worst. american officials warning of an out of control, spiraling nuclear crisis in japan. one question. could a kind of suicide mission by japanese workers stop it? or is it too late? and could this happen to the same kind of reactors right here in america? good evening. this is what an american official told us today. it would be hard to describe how alarming the situation is inside japan's nuclear power plant. teetering on the brink of a multi-reactor meltdown. that last ditch hope, the

workers heading in on what he called a suicide mission. and even that may be too late. as family members of some of the workers have begun to weigh in, one of them writing tonight, "my father has accepted his fate, much like a death sentence." and, the japanese people are lining up today to be tested or to leave, but we want to talk, as well, about what this means for the united states. we're going to tell you about worst case scenarios, what it might really deliver to hawaii, to california, the rest of this country, all of that ahead. but martha raddatz leads us off, she spent the day with experts asking about the reality of what is happening tonight. martha? >> reporter: diane, the u.s. is now urgently trying to get the japanese government to find more volunteers to go into the nuclear reactors to try to stop multiple meltdowns. the next 48 hours are absolutely critical. one official told me there is a recognition this is a suicide mission, but this is where we are right now.

50 workers inside the plant, working in the dark with nothing but flashlights, wearing overalls and heavy hazardous suits, trying to put out toxic fires with a hose. we are told it is like a horror movie, fighting a monster you cannot see, you cannot touch but you know is coming to get you. tonight, new pictures of the destruction at the reactor buildings. burnt out from fires. europe's energy commissioner saying, "there is talk of apocalypse, and i think that world is particularly well chosen." here is what is so worrying. at reactor one, 70% of the fuel rods are damaged. at reactor number three, smoke is billowing out. an explosion there blew out the roof and outer walls, likely cracking the critical containment vessel that holds the nuclear material in. at reactor two, smoke seeping out.

the explosion there also believed to have cracked that container around the vessel that holds the red hot nuclear core. and reactor four. you can see it damaged by fire. even out of use fuel rods are in a critical state. the pool supposed to cool them may be out of water, which would lead to the release of plumes of radioactivity. a hail mary-type attempt to dump water into the pool with helicopters was called off because of too much radiation. all in all, an unprecedented calamity. if those two damaged containers, with their five feet of cement, reinforced by steel, if they give way, there will be no way to cool the core. it will melt down, bleed out and also send toxic nuclear clouds into the air. everything depends on those walls holding. some radiation is already seeping out. people lined up to be tested,

frustration and worry mounting. this mother saying, "i worry so much, radiation cannot be seen." outside the plant, levels spiked to the equivalent of having 10,000 x-rays in an hour. and faint levels are being measured as far as 70 miles away. and tonight, the u.s. is calling for all americans within a 50-mile radius of the nuclear plant to evacuate. the military is keeping a safe distance, as well. as for the japanese, they say they are still trying to power up the water pumps that would help cool the reactors but whether that can happen is anyone's guess, diane, and it does not look good. >> it's a question i want to ask, martha, to our nuclear expert, former congressional adviser. joe, cirincione, what can the workers do? is it too late to do anything?

>> it's hard to see what they can do, diane. we had 800 workers there. they couldn't contain it. the situation's been getting worse. this is really a last line of defense. the 50 workers are doing their best, they may give their lives in this. but it's hard for me to see how they can get enough water or have enough reinforcement to the containment vehicles to prevent the core meltdown and a possible breach of two reactors. >> let's talk about the worst case scenario. you have multiple core meltdowns at this site. and we have waste pools that are also at risk. how much radiation could reach the united states? and what kind is it, the worst, seize cesium 127, is it plutonium? what could reach here? >> the worst problem right now is that spent fuel pond. we haven't been talking a lot about that. but when that pond catches fire and if there's no water in that pond, it will catch fire. that will spew heavy radioactive smoke out to the whole area. that could force the final evacuation of those workers. that means they won't be there to try to keep the fuel, the water levels up in those reactors.

so, you could start to see the two cores and two, number two and number three melt. i don't know, number one would probably then go, as well. and then you might have the other fuel pools also catch fire once they get drained of water. so, you're looking at a very serious situation for the japanese people. the radioactivity would spread over hundreds, perhaps thousands of square kilometers. but not for the united states. this radioactivity is very unlikely to reach the united states, except in trace amounts. >> i'm thinking back to chernobyl, you had a plume, what, hundreds of feet into the air, and some trace amounts did reach the u.s. then, as we know. and chernobyl is about the same distance from the california coastline as fukushima. >> that's right, diane. but the difference was, you had a huge explosion at the chernobyl site that sent a hot plume of radioactive particulates into the upper atmosphere which were rapidly spread to north america, in fact, around the globe. here, we're talking about much lower levels.

not -- probably not explosions. probably not explosions. so, the radiation would stay low and would dissipate over the pacific ocean. you're looking at contamination of that site, of perhaps hundreds, maybe more, thousands of square kilometers rendered uninhabitable, basically forever. heavy contamination of the ocean near that area. but not a radiation disaster for north america. >> all right, so, you're saying just trace amounts for north america, even in the worst case scenario. thank you, joe. >> thank you, diane. and we want to return for a moment to those brave emergency workers who are walking into a wall of radiation. and as we said, some of their families have begun weighing in, and juju chang reports tonight on the volunteers carrying the hopes of millions. >> reporter: they wear haz-mat suits that protect airways, but do little to stop potentially fatal doses of radiation. these brave nameless men stand ready to lay down their lives to slay a fire-breathing dragon.

they are anonymous recruits whose families are beginning to emerge from the quake-ravaged shadows. a 27-year-old from the northern coast wrote on twitter, "when i heard my father who is retiring in six months, applied voluntarily, tears came to my eyes. although he seems so useless at home, i've never been more proud of him. i pray he comes home safely." emergency scenarios suggest the crippled plant will have asked older retirees to volunteer, not because they're more skilled or expendable, but because even if they are exposed to massive amounts of radiation, the lessons of chernobyl show they would more likely die of old age than radiation-induced cancers, which can take decades to develop. an e-mail from another family member read, "my father is still working at the plant. they're running out of food. we think conditions are really tough. he says he's accepted his fate, much like a death sentence." the dwindling food would be military-style meals ready to eat. without power, they are likely crawling through dark spaces,

searching for leaks or frantically putting out fires with hoses and pumper trucks. michael friedlander worked on crisis management in the u.s. tell me about the camaraderie of the group that's come to be known as the fukushima 50. >> it's a brotherhood. right now, they understand that they put their lives in their co-workers hands and there's a trust and a bond that everybody is absolutely going to do whatever is necessary to combat the situation. >> reporter: together, in one last ditch effort, as the world holds its collective breath. juju chang, abc news, new york. and now, the japanese people, as i saw, leaving japan this morning, extraordinary discipline on their part. tonight, at the airports, we hear that the lines are long, there is a rush, and amid all of that, an extraordinary call for calm. clarissa ward brings us that from tokyo now. >> reporter: the fear of a nuclear catastrophe is reaching much further than the actual danger. here in tokyo, 170 miles from the stricken plant, the airport

is a mob scene. while thousands of foreigners try to flee, residents are stocking up on essentials. in a city of 13 million, that means empty store shelves. >> it's a big city and panic could be a serious issue. >> reporter: the government of japan has asked people to stay calm. but even here in tokyo, it's clear that anxiety is starting to spread and supplies are starting to run short, with long lines of cars like this one waiting up to 40 minutes to fill a tank of gas. in an extremely rare television address, the japanese emperor spoke to his people, urging them to band together, as they confront this overwhelming disaster. clarissa ward, abc news, tokyo. and, you just heard clarissa tell us about what's happening at the airports in tokyo. david muir is also there, reporting in tonight. david? >> reporter: diane, good evening from haneda airport. we're southwest of tokyo tonight and you can see one of the

flights here behind me taking off. many people are trying to get out of this country. i talked with a number of americans who are flying out on our flight, a little later from now, who tell me that they're leaving the country, as well. one husband leaving his job early to go back to north carolina. another family, quite poignant, the father staying here to work, the little boys blowing him kisses. the wife, the mother, taking the kids on break. and he was quite honest with us, he said he hopes his family can return here in a week or two, to a much safer japan, though everyone knows that the situation at those nuclear power reactors is deteriorating. as we report in here from the airport. again, our flight takes off about 30 minutes from now. we'll see you back in new york. diane? >> all right, david, see you here. and the latest official toll from the disaster in japan is now more than 4,300 dead. twice as many, 8,600 are missing. but we learned today that just when it seems hope is lost, something happens that demands you hope again. rescue teams, calling out,

probing the new snow tonight as the temperatures drop. we were there with one team, no state of the art equipment, just shovels. and their voices saying "anyone here? make a sound." you have to get a sense of the immensity of what they have to try to do. it's -- it's inconceivable. sometimes the team, joined by family members. this aunt looking for her nephew, one step at a time. and this family, crying out, a loved one still trapped below. the team squeezes into narrow cracks, crawls under the rubble. nearby, there are always makeshift morgues. it's where a husband comes every day, searching for his wife. he checks the list of the dead first, then, the living. his wife was last seen here in front of her cousin's house.

she handed their children to relatives moments before being swept down the street. tonight, he huddles with his children in the car repair shop. his children saying, "let's go find mommy today. and if we don't find her today, we'll find her tomorrow." he says that is what gives him the strength to go on. in another part of the devastation, a soldier prays alongside a woman, both searching for survivors. outside in the freezing cold, they build fires to stay warm. and after the anguish about the gigantic human toll, the japanese said they're worried, too, about their family friends, their dogs, their pets. today, we heard the story of a dog who raced toward rescue workers and led them back to a

wounded dog. both safe, still together tonight. and, in village after village, in the afternoon, at 5:00, a song plays over the speakers. in this village, a song you'll recognize. a song about yesterday. ♪ and still ahead on "world news," some questions about those u.s. nuclear plants with the same design as the japanese ones. and, how one baby's cry from beneath the rubble caused wonder around the world. [ male announcer ] those with frequent heartburn

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home. so, we sent dan harris out to answer one specific question. what about the reactors here that are so much like the ones in trouble in japan? >> reporter: the fear that what's happening over in japan could happen here in america was on full display on capitol hill today. >> we have a situation that is scaring the life out of everybody. >> reporter: this is what democrat henry waxman said when asked whether american nuclear reactors are safe. >> no, i can't reach that conclusion. nor can anybody at this point. the industry tells us to relax, we're okay. i wouldn't take anything like that at face value. >> reporter: waxman points out that those japanese reactors are the same ones used here in america at 16 different plants across the country. the reactors, called the mark i, built by general electric starting in the 1960s, have been correspondent y'a controversial for years. in the 1970s, dale bridenbaugh

and two of his colleagues became known as the ge-3, when they quit over safety concerns about the mark i reactors, which they feared were not large or strong enough to contain radiation in the event of a meltdown. in fact, ge specifically marketed the mark i as cheaper and easier to build. tonight, bridenbaugh is watching the events in japan fearfully. >> it's, you know, frightening to me that we've gotten into this situation where thousands of people may lose their lives as a result of this. >> reporter: after the ge-3 quit back in 1975, the mark i reactors here in the u.s. all underwent safety modifications. ge tells abc news the mark is have a, quote, proven track record of performing reliably and safely for 40 years. but is 40 years too long for a nuclear reactor to be in operation? some experts we spoke to today said yes. >> these reactors are old and as

a son of a car dealer, i believe you should rotate your metal every once in awhile. >> reporter: today, the energy secretary told congress that president obama continues to support the idea of building new nuclear reactors in this country. but the fears are spreading. late today, the governor of new york ordered a safety review of a nuclear power plant that sits near a seismic fault line just 35 miles north of where we sit here in manhattan tonight, diane. >> i keep thinking what one seismologist said, that mother nature is always watching to see if we're playing guessing games, to strike. thank you, dan harris. >> reporter: thank you. and coming up, we have other news from america, around the country today. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult. prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief

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american cia contractor who had been held in pakistan, accused of shooting and killing two pakistanis. raymond davis was let go after the families of the victims were paid more than $2 million. clinton denies that the u.s. paid for his release. and, despite all the troubles around the world, the president kept his annual appointment to fill out his bracket for college basketball's march madness. the basketball fan in chief got together with our sister network espn's andy katz. >> all right, so, kansas versus pittsburgh semifinal, who wins? >> that's kansas. and i'm going to pick ohio state. >> ohio state versus kansas. >> and i'm picking kansas. >> you heard it here first. the president is going with kansas. and you can see all of his picks on espn "sportscenter" and at espn.com. coming up, those two babies and two stories of astonishing hope.

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and tonight, two babies whose stories seem to show someone was watching over them. they have become the faces of japan's resilience. a 4-month-old baby girl, her cry rings out, confusing the rescue workers. but then, they heard it again. this time, they follow the sound and there, tucked beneath the wreckage, totally unharmed, a tiny miracle. a baby who survived for three days. how? and there's the little boy just born today, his father, a doctor, tending victims around the clock. he left only for his son's birth. and named him ray. to give hope, no matter what happens, to remind that you have to keep walking forward. two babies, book ends in a disaster. a reminder of what the japanese call "new birth." and we thank you all for watching tonight.

we are always on at abcnews.com. and don't forget, "nightline" will be here later. and i'll see you right back here tomorrow. good night. tonight nuclear fallout from the japanese earthquake. newest information on the power plant calamity. >> lawmakers taking action on the budget cutting plan with his tax plans waiting in the wings. >> a story only on 7 tonight.

the man in the wheelchair wants justice by suing the san francisco police officers who shot him. >> and a wildlife center that has been rescued itself after receiving an eviction notice. good evening, there is a minute by minute crisis in a severely damaged nuclear plant in japan. >> right now emergency workers are risking their lives to prevent a complete melt down. >> minutes ago crews just started to drop water from helicopters. this is a live picture from nhk television. at the same time, workers on the ground are using a wattor canon to shoot water into one of the reactors. >> it's a december sprit effort to keep spent nuclear fuel rods from melting. if you take a look, you can see water being dropped and diverting